


Moments

by Kaori_Maxwell



Category: Takarazuka Revue RPF
Genre: F/F, Falling In Love, Mostly Gen, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-12 03:19:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11153154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaori_Maxwell/pseuds/Kaori_Maxwell
Summary: Some things have to grow over time.





	1. Take One

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here we go.
> 
> What startet out as an innocent little snippet morphed into something that went a little out of my control, but well... what can you do, when the bunny bites?
> 
> Short explanation: 'Moments' is a collection of, well, moments and situations (obviously, since it is a fanfic, I know) in the lifes of a group of actresses of the Takarazuka Music Company.
> 
> For now it starts out with Yan and Miki, but others will follow in time.
> 
> Beta once again by noctuabunda - thanks so much!! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I definitely don’t know them, nor own them. I don’t make money with this and as far as I know, the things described here never happened.
> 
> Originally posted at oddslash archive (http://oddslash.livejournal.com/4390.html)

Moments - Take One

 

~~1981~~

~~Yan

The moment she entered the room I instantly recognized her. I didn’t even know her full name. ‘Miki-chan’ I had heard sometimes said in an upset voice and then spotted her, slightly embarrassed but still grinning. And I had seen her often enough while I still had been in Music School. Lively, energetic and at the moment, while being introduced to Hanagumi, obviously nervous as hell. I could remember well enough how nervous I had been one year ago.

I involuntarily asked myself if she would stay in Hanagumi, or would be transferred to another group after the spring dance was over.

~~ Miki

I repeatedly told myself that the first time would be the worst and everything after that no problem at all. Especially if I finally would be able to get the damned zipper on my back closed.

“Hey, Kaname, could you help me for a moment?” My classmate seemed to be much quicker in preparing.

“I’ve got it.” I froze. That voice definitely didn’t belong to Kaname. I heard the zipper go up without a problem and then felt a pat on my back. “All done.” I turned around and saw the vaguely familiar face of an otokoyaku smile at me. “Good luck for your performance.”

“Ah, thank you!” I bowed quickly.

“No problem.” And then she was gone again, working on her own costume.

Kaname came over. “Hey, everything alright? Do you know her?”

“I’m not sure, I don’t think so. Hey, are you all done?”

“Yes, I’m as ready as I ever will be.”

I nodded. That feeling I shared.

\---

After some more performances I was finally able to get my zipper closed without trouble and go on-stage without feeling faint.

Additionally, I had remembered where I knew that girl from who had helped me on the first day: she had been in Music School one class above me. I had seen her on campus and a few times on cleaning duty, but the make up had thrown me off at first.

But this morning, I had something totally different to be nervous about than if my zipper would close in time. We were to be sorted into one of the four groups the theater consisted of.

 

~Some time later

~Yan

After stepping outside and looking for a spot to spend my break I spotted Miki sitting some paces away. I decided to join her. Whatever the reason, I found myself curious about her.

“Hey.”

She looked up at me questioningly but smiled a little when she recognized me. “Oh. Hi.”

“Is it alright if I sit here?” I pointed to the free space on the bench she was sitting on.

“Oh, sure.” She moved a little along to make more room for me.

“Thanks.” After sitting down I got my lunch-box out. The weather was much too nice to spend it inside. The silence which ensued wasn’t uncomfortable but I was curious. “So, what are you doing here?” I didn’t see a bento and she just seemed to sit and wait.

She ducked her head a little as if I had caught her doing something embarrassing. “I’m watching people. What they do and how they move.”

“Oh? You do this often?”

A nod. “Quite a lot. I try to work it into my acting.”

I liked the idea. When I told her so, she blushed a little but looked pleased and smiled.

 

~~1985

~Miki

While walking down the stairs from the restaurant we had been at, I suddenly tripped and for a moment the pavement came closer in alarming speed before my fall was stopped by two arms around my waist. Yan had apparently reacted just in time.

“Woah! Careful.” She laughed while we both staggered around a little.

“Damn, I guess I had a little to much wine. Thanks!”

“No problem. Do you think you can stand on your own again?”

“Yeeeah, I guess so.” I chuckled.

“Good.” But we continued to stand there some more and held each other. This was kind of nice. It felt comfortable. But…

“Yan?”

“Hm?”

“That means you could theoretically let go of me again.”

“Oh? Oh yes, I guess so, sorry.” She laughed a little and pulled her arms back. “So~”

“So?”

“Well, I guess we should get going, right?”

I had to laugh. “You’re a little drunk, too. Right?”

 

~Yan

We made our way back to Mikis flat, where I was to stay for the night. We were both staggering a little, but made it there safely.

Getting ready for bed consisted of a lot of laughing and tumbling around until we finally lay next to each other on her mattress and had said our ‘good nights’.

It had to have been several hours later, when I could feel weight settle on my stomach. I opened my eyes and blearily looked down to find- Miki, who seemed to have either mistaken me for her pillow or was one of the cuddly kind. Her right arm followed to wrap itself around my waist and I could hear her sigh contently in her sleep.

This was kind of unsettling and kind of cute at the same time and I contemplated what I should do now.

The picture of a big, if somewhat clumsy cat came to my mind and I had to smile while one of my hands found it’s way into her hair and started stroking.

‘Kind of nice’ won over ‘kind of unsettling’ and I drifted off to sleep again, my hand still on her head.

 

~Miki

It was on the morning after our little private party, when I tried to bury a little deeper into my pillow, that I noticed I was lying kind of rolled together on my side. I liked it, it was comfortable. But something wasn’t right with my pillow. Slowly, I opened my eyes.

Oh.

Maybe that was because I was lying on Yan, and my pillow lay behind me.

Carefully, as not to wake her up (this was strange enough) I sat up a bit. The moment I did this, I felt her hand, that must have accidentally found me in my sleep, slide away from the back of my head. Laying back down beside her, I missed the warmth immediately and quickly buried under my blanket.

Yan turned a little towards me in her sleep. Maybe she felt the loss of warmth, too? I pulled her blanket a little higher and she sighed.

Then it struck me how comfortable all this felt. I liked having her here.

~

When I went to bed that night and buried in my pillows, I noticed that I could smell Yan in them. I liked it. It was reassuring in a strange way. It reminded me that I would see her again the next day and it made me smile.

And restless.

Our interaction at rehearsal got constantly better, at least that was what our teacher had said. And the others had started to tease us about seeming to be inseparable and shouldn’t one of us change to musumeyaku, soon? But it was all good-natured and fun and I was really happy how things were at the moment.

It was just- Yan confused me.

I wanted to stay close to her and at the same time feared that I should keep a certain distance.

But I wouldn’t, I knew that. It felt much too good to be close to her. Then again, she made me unsure of myself, why was that?

I sat up again and got some paper and a pen out. I had to figure this out or I felt I would go crazy.

 

~Miki

“What is this?” Yan waved a couple of pages in front of my face.

“I don’t know. What is it?” To be honest, I had a good idea what that was.

She held them in front of my face and I could see my own writing staring back at me. “Well, what it says it is. I just felt like telling you.” It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Now I wasn’t so sure anymore. She didn’t seem particular happy or amused. “Are you angry?”

For a much too long moment she didn’t say anything, just looked at me in that quietly agitated way she had. Her forehead would wrinkle, she’d bite her lower lip a little but would stay very still otherwise.

“No, I’m not.”

“Okay…that’s good.”

“I’m not sure. Maybe I should be. But I’m not.” She sat down next to me and kept her gaze on the floor. “Thank you. I feel flattered that you would tell me something like that.”

“Well, it’s nothing special. I just felt you should know how much your friendship means to me.”

Her head shot up to look at me. That had been one of the things I had written about: her eyes. It made me restless when she looked at me like that and at the same time I didn’t want to lose eye contact by moving. Yan confused me. Writing down what I thought about her had originally been an attempt to explain to myself what Yan meant to me and what I thought about her. And when I had been done, it only felt like the right thing to do to let her know as well. Even if I still wasn’t any wiser.

“You really meant all that?”

“Yes. But don’t worry, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just felt you should know, that’s all.”

 

~Yan

I was determined not to think about it any further. Miki had said it herself: she hadn’t meant anything by writing and giving me that list. Just her thoughts, that she had wanted to put in order. It was obviously an accident that this list practically resembled a love letter, if one read it from that perspective.

I felt flattered- no doubt about that. Being told that ones eyes alone left an impression of what a beautiful person one is, inside and out, tends to do that. But I still had trouble deciding what to think of the situation.

_‘Every day I am allowed to spend with you seems to make my life brighter.’_

_‘It’s the little things, too. The way you laugh. And especially the way we can laugh together.’_

_No-one had ever told me such things. Or had bothered to list them like that._

_Yes, even if I still wasn’t sure what to make of it, I was glad she had given me that letter._

_'You go along with many of my jokes and childish behaviour and manage to sometimes surpass me even in being silly. Only of course, if you don’t call me to order.’_

_'How is it, that I seem to feel better just seeing you smile? No matter how bad my day has been?'_

 

tbc


	2. Take Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh really?

~~1986

~Yan

It was in our one week vacation time, which I spent at home with my family, that it suddenly hit me.

One moment I accepted a plate of nori from my mother and thought that Miki would prefer the seasoned one, the next a warm feeling spread inside of me and my cheeks felt like they were glowing.  
Hadn’t I cleared it with myself months ago that being with Miki that way wouldn’t work?

It seemed my subconsciousness had worked overtime- I felt light-headed at the thought of seeing her again in a few days.

But why now? We had known each other for years already, nothing had fundamentally changed. We had grown closer over the last half year, but…

Well yes, the touching and hugging had been more as well, but… I was confused.

I seldom had met someone with whom I had felt so at ease so quickly.

Still, it was not wise to- but… but maybe…if we- and if Miki wanted to, then-

“Takako, why are you smiling like that?”

“Eh? What are you talking about, mother?”

“You’re smiling from one ear to the other.”

“Oh, nothing special. I’m just looking forward to meeting a friend again, next week. We work well together. I like her a lot.”

“That’s nice. Bring her sometime. We see you so rarely and we have not seen any of your friends in a long time.”

I felt myself nod. “I’d like that. I’ll ask her.”

I would. Among other things. I felt so warm and light the whole evening every time I thought about Miki and honestly looked forward to the beginning of our next rehearsal run the coming week.

Only two days till I’d see her again.

 

~ A few days later

“Yan?”

Hearing Miki’s voice, my head shot up.

The week had not started as I had anticipated or hoped. When I had greeted her with even more enthusiasm than usual, she had seemed kind of cold. And frighteningly unresponsive.

I had been confused and when it didn’t get better in the course of the afternoon, it had actually felt as if it was getting colder. And even sitting right next to the heater hadn’t helped in the slightest.

The next day hadn’t been better. I was hurting, but I didn’t know yet what to do and how to respond to her behaviour. So I kept to myself, evaded questions about Miki from my friends as well as I could and tried to ignore that everyone had noticed something was wrong. If only I had known what had brought this about.

The third day, this day, hadn’t begun any better. I dreaded looking at Miki, because I knew my heart would first lurch and then plummet to the ground when she wouldn’t meet my gaze. I had had enough of that the last two days.

The more it shocked me when she suddenly stood next to me. The urge to touch her was there immediately, just under the surface, but I didn’t dare. I didn’t even dare to smile in greeting or to do anything that could possibly scare her away. I shivered a little when she made a move as if to touch me, but then stopped herself.

She took a look around and upon seeing no-one in hearing range asked, “Would you come with me for a moment?”

I nodded before I had thought about it and stood up to follow her wherever she would lead. When had I become so dependent on her? My heart beat faster when I thought about the possibility that this was it. She would tell me that she was sorry, but didn’t want to be friends anymore. Maybe I could change the troupe. Or maybe she would and hadn’t known how to tell me?

While I had been lost in my thoughts, we seemed to have reached our destination. A small training room on an upper floor which was seldom used. After making sure no-one was in and looking around a last time, she held the door open for me and locked it after stepping in herself.

Why all the secrecy, if all she wanted to do was to tell me we couldn’t be friends anymore? And I had been so stupid to consider that she really loved me and would take the risk and be with me. I bit my lip to stop the tears from coming.

“Yan? I need to talk to you.”

I couldn’t suppress a quiet snort. “Oh? You didn’t have much to say to me the last few days.” I finally looked at her and almost jumped at meeting her eyes. When _had_ that happened? When had I grown so attached that-

“I love you.”

“What?”

“I love you.”

But why- “Miki, I’m warning you: _don’t joke with me_.”

“I am not joking.”

I felt hysteric. I couldn’t stop myself from getting louder. “Then how come you didn’t talk to me at all the last two days?!?”

“I needed to be sure before I told you. I wanted to be absolutely sure that I really do love you. I didn’t want to risk everything we already have by promising something I couldn’t keep.”

I laughed. It was not a happy laugh, it sounded desperate even to my own ears.

“What? Yan, what is it?” I felt her touching my arm and flinched away as if burned.

“I thought you didn’t like me anymore! I thought you wanted me to stay away.” All the lip-biting in the world could stop me now from crying. “And I thought I had lost you, before I even had the chance to tell you that I love you.”

A moment later she held me in her arms and whispered calming things which I later wouldn’t remember. But the cold inside of my chest was going away and I just cried harder.

“Don’t do that again, please. I was so afraid you didn’t want me close anymore. It hurt so much.”

“I won’t! Please don’t cry, I’m so sorry. Every time I looked at you before you left for vacation I wanted to tell you. But I was so afraid. And it hit me so hard when I saw you again this week and you smiled as if I was the only person that mattered in the room. I was happy, but it scared me, too.” Her grip on me got harder. “Please, I didn’t want to hurt you, please forgive me.”

I could feel her heart beating just as frantically as mine was. Slowly I started to hug her back and I more felt than heard her release a deep sigh.

This felt so right.

“So… are you sure now?”

She nodded against my shoulder. “Yes. I can’t remember the last time I was so sure about something.” One of her hands found its way on my neck and massaged a little. “I truly want this. I want to be with you.”

“...Me too.” I pressed even closer. “I missed you so much these two days: having you near while you kept so far away. I felt like I was going insane.”

“Shit, I didn’t want that. I’m so sorry.”

We were both quiet for a while and just held each other close, but we had to go back to the others before long.

Before we parted, Miki made me meet her gaze. “Would you like to get something to eat after practice today? Just the two of us? My treat.”

I nodded. I was so happy I thought I’d start to cry again at any moment, I had to calm down a little. “Can I stay over tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”

“I’d like that.” She smiled at me. That self-confident, bright smile that was so absolutely her.

“Okay.” I felt like I more or less got a grip on myself. “Let’s go to the bathroom and freshen up a little before we go back.” I started to pull away.

“Yan, wait.” Before I had gotten far she put one hand on my cheek and gave me a quick kiss on the mouth. “I really meant it- I love you.”

Leaning forward, I caught her mouth for a slightly longer kiss and then smiled. “I love you, too.”

 

The afternoon went by in a happy daze.

Everything was as it had been, only better. And while the last two days probably couldn’t have been any more bleak, now everything was bright.

The whole group seemed to have picked up on it that things were alright again between Miki and me and had relaxed.

Once our training was over, we showered, packed our things and left the building together. First, we stopped by at my apartment and I got some things for staying overnight. After that, we got some take-away food before finally going to Miki's flat.

I was looking forward to being alone with her, after the stress of the last two days. I felt as if I needed to reconnect with her.

 

~ Miki

 

Taking Yan home made me nervous. It definitely wouldn’t be the first time for us to be alone together. Only now there were certain expectations concerning what would happen between us and how we would behave around each other. And I was a little concerned about messing it up.

When Yan began to undress to change into her pyjamas, I decided to give her a little privacy and go into the bathroom to change. “I’ll be back in a second.” I grabbed my clothes.

“Ah, Miki?”

“Yeah?”

“Could you just help me out? I’ve got trouble opening the fastener on my back.” She stood with her back turned and looked over her shoulder at me.

Why was I this nervous? I had never been squeamish about touching her before. And I decided I wouldn’t start now! “Sure.” I walked over to her and opened her bra. “There you go.” I let my hands linger, then glide over her shoulders, down her arms and could hear a contend sigh escape her while she leaned back into me.

“Hold me for a moment?”

I pulled her against me and wrapped my arms around her. Yan's hands came to rest on mine and our fingers tangled. This felt familiar and strange at the same time.

After a few minutes she let go of my hands and turned around in my arms. She looked at me for a long moment and then leaned in to kiss me, her mouth still closed. Then her hands hesitantly began to open the buttons of my shirt.

“Is this alright?”

I nodded. After she was done with the last one she pushed the shirt down my shoulders and I let go of her for a moment to get it off completely. Yan watched me with a look I couldn’t really interpret.

Nervousness creeped back into me. “Uhm, I’m not much to look at.”

“Nonsense. You’re everything I want to look at.”

tbc


	3. Take Three

~~ a month later

~~Miki

 

I just took the last steps up to Yan’s flat when I heard their voices. She was saying goodbye to someone. Walking on, a fairly good-looking guy came into my direction and passed me without so much as a glance on his way to the stairs.

Suddenly there was a knot in my stomach and I quickened my steps on the last bit of distance to Yan’s flat. Suddenly I couldn’t see her soon enough.

I let myself in, changed shoes and ventured on into the living room. “Hey Yan! I’m back.”

“Welcome!” She came out of the kitchen, a smile on her face, but I couldn’t lay my worries to rest like that.

It was probably best just to ask. “Yan, who was that?”

“Hm?”

“That guy that just left. He passed me in the hallway.”

She sighed. “No-one of consequence.”

“Oh? He talked like he was familiar with you.”

“…Someone my parents would ‘approve of’. I’ve known him for a few years. Happy now?” That knot in my stomach got bigger.

“What did he want here?” Even if Yan had been interested, she was still in the company and a boyfriend or husband was not debatable. “You don’t think about quitting, do you?” What I had wanted to say was: You don’t think about leaving me, do you? But I hadn’t gotten it out.

“I guess he wanted to inquire if I was still available.”

“You are _not_!” Fear gripped me and I felt helpless.

“Oh Miki…” She crossed the last bit of space between us and took me in her arms. “Of course not. Do you really think I would leave you?”

I wrapped my arms around her in turn. Maybe a little too hard, but she didn’t complain. “No. But- if they’d try to take you from me, I- I don’t know what- what I would do.”

“They wouldn’t. And they couldn’t. That is not negotiable. You don’t have to be jealous.”

“I can’t help it.” I hid my face in her neck and just breathed her scent. “I _am_ sure, you know... Would you consider to move in with me?” It was something I had thought about from time to time, even before we had gotten together. Some girls did that to save money and now it could be the perfect excuse for living together.

“It’s not just because of that guy just now, is it?”

“No. I know we can’t make it official in any way to keep your suitors away. But I’d like to be closer to you.”

“…Yes.”

“Yes?” I raised my head and looked at her. “Simply yes?”

She beamed at me. “Yes.”

 

~~ some time later that year

~Yan

 

“Come here”

“Eh?!” Caught off guard like that when I had been walking by Miki who had been working and now suddenly pulled me onto her lap, my first instinct was to stand up again. She held me close and refused to let go.

“What? Are you uncomfortable?”

I really wasn’t. It was just that even now, the closeness we shared sometimes threw me off. That didn’t mean I didn’t want it. I just had to get used to it after all that time learning proper behaviour, and learning to be the one in control. I settled down a little more and shook my head.

“Don’t be so tense. Just lie back.”

Leaning back a little more, I put my head on her shoulder. It still felt a little strange. But this was Miki. It was nice to be close. And before long her warmth and smell calmed me down and I felt myself relax.

 

~some days later

~Miki

 

“I think it is time I introduced you to my parents.”

My coffee almost made a journey across the kitchen table. “ _What_?”

She looked at me as if she had just made a remark about the weather. “Well, we’re living together. I’m sure they’d like to know you. Wouldn’t you like to know who your child is living with?”

“Oh…sure. It just sounded like- well, like something that we really shouldn’t do.”

 

~ 1994 - Yan is Topstar of Hanagumi

~ Morina

 

“Yan? Yan, are you in here?” I had been searching for my wayward partner for half an hour now, but had not been able to find her. I knew that she took off sometimes to practice alone and work on more complicated figures, but sometimes that really didn’t make it easier to get our work done.  
I closed another door behind me, after getting no answer and seeing no-one inside.  
On to the next room. She had to be somewhere in this building.

~ Yan

“And before the closing figure, I will be walking backwards, taking you with me, while we stage kiss.”

“Only stage kiss?”

“Miki~ don’t even think about it.” She came closer and stepped into my arms.

“So, what we are to do is this figure and then the walking and the kissing?”

“Stage-kissing, but yes.”

“Let’s try.”

“Okay.” We easily went through the motions until we stood in-front of each other and I could already see Miki trying to initiate much more than a stage kiss. “Oh no, you won’t.” I swiftly walked backwards into the next position and led her with me.

She pouted a little. “Just this?”

“Yes, just this.”

“But couldn’t we-“

“No, we can’t. The choreography says I’m leading you with one hand on your cheek. It would be much too obvious and you know it.”

“Yeah, I know. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“Come on. It isn’t as if you didn’t get enough attention the rest of the time.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t want more. You know I’m greedy.”

“Don’t look at me like that!” She knew exactly what she could do to me.

“Like what?”

Miki playing innocent shouldn’t have been so awfully cute. “Oh come here.” I pulled her in.

“Hmmpf.”

“Oh- Sorry.” I only saw Morina for a moment before she stepped out and closed the door behind her.

“We have to get a grip on ourselves.” I muttered.

“We?”

“We.”

 

~ Morina

Well, it seemed like I had found her now. I could probably have assumed that she wouldn’t be alone. And that the someone hanging around her would be Miki. But what I hadn’t counted on was the manner in which Miki was hanging around Yan.

“Oh- Sorry.” Escaped me automatically before I stepped out and closed the door behind me.

Without much thought I made my way downstairs and passed various people before I reached Tamo.

“Tamo? Could we talk for a minute?”

“Of course. Are you alright?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

“Come on.” I let myself be led into the next empty room and, once there, started pacing.

“Er- Morina?”

I whirled around to face her. “Did you know?”

“What?”

“Did-you-know?”

“About what?”

“Yan!”

“Yan?”

“And Miki!”

“Miki. What?”

“Yan and Miki! I just- I'm-” I felt my face grow hot and I was confused. “I just walked in on them. While they were... kissing.”

“Oh. You mean you didn't know?

“You did?!?”

“Well, of course- aw damn, sorry Morina. I always just thought that you probably knew. That somehow, you had to know.

“Well, I didn't.”  
“I, I guess I don't think about it anymore. You know: for me, that's just like it is. I honestly hardly remember a time when they weren't together.”

“I see.”

“Is this- oh shit. Is this a problem for you?”

“That she never bothered to tell me? Yes damn-it, it is!”

Not five minutes later, Tamo had manoeuvred Yan inside and had vanished again.

“Morina, honestly: we were working until a moment before you arrived.

“Yes sure, I saw how you worked!”

“No, please listen. This is not interfering with our work. It never has, and it won’t. You didn’t notice anything before today, did you?

“…no. But now I think I should have. The two of you always were awfully close… You should be more careful, you know?”

“Yes. I know.”

“You love her?” Yan only looked at me. I sighed. “Then I'm happy for you.”

Yan smiled a tiny, little bit. “Thank you, Morina.”

“Yes, yes, it's ok. But damn you: be more careful!!”


	4. Take Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember the Drama? It came back with reinforcement.

~1995

~Yan

We were wasting precious time.

I watched Miki as she slipped, too late again, into the room and to my side. 

“Whew, I slept till eleven.”

I only looked up for a moment. “And that’s why you never have time left.”

We were quiet for a moment while we watched the others rehearse.

She cleared her throat. Then: “Are you alright?”

“Sure. Come on, we’re up next.” And for the most part: that was the truth. I was alright, only something deep down inside of me waited to pop up, and I couldn’t put my finger on it yet, what that something was.

Our dance was not perfect that morning, and usually that was what made it perfect for me, what got me to think it over and work on it with Miki at my side, either to distract or to help me and it was a process I relished in. Not today. I was a second away from snapping at her the whole morning until she had to leave for an interview. I knew I had been horrid to her all day and luckily managed to snatch a minute alone with her.

“Yan, what is it? Did I do something?”

I sighed and took her in my arms. “No, you didn’t. I’m sorry. I just feel on edge these days.”

I could feel her nod. “Alright. I guess that’s understandable.” She hugged me closer. “You know what? How about we have a nice, quiet evening tonight, just the two of us. I’ll cook- Hey! Don’t laugh, I can cook- and maybe I’ll have a surprise for you.” Her eyes twinkled and she smiled at me and I knew I could have managed to spend the day just standing with her here.

“I guess dinner will count as a surprise itself.” I felt at least a small smile pull at my lips.

She pouted a little but hugged me closer again. “See you later, ok?”

I nodded and gave her a quick peck on the mouth before she left our hidden little corner. I watched her go to the exit and waved when she turned once, then I went back inside when she was gone.

That something was still nagging at me.

 

Rehearsal continued for an hour before we were free to go.

I had already arrived inside the changing room, had quickly taken in who was there and had turned to my bag when it suddenly hit me.

It felt like the hardest decision I ever had to make when I realized in that moment that, with leaving the theater, I would have to leave Miki as well. And I had pushed the thought away from me for weeks now. Today it seemed I couldn’t anymore.

It felt like my insides were crumbling down. But once I wasn’t part of the company anymore, we wouldn’t be able to continue like this and not give cause for major conspicuousness.

I felt sickness rising up and quickly went out of the changing rooms and into the bathroom.

This wouldn’t do: I had to get myself together. I would have to be strong for both of us. Even if everything inside of me rebelled at the thought of not being with Miki. Not going to sleep next to her. Not waking up with her. Not to quarrel over little things. Or kiss her until we’re both out of breath.  
My head hurt, the tears wouldn’t stop, and there was a wailing in my ears of which I couldn’t be sure, that I wasn’t the source of myself.

“Boss?”

Damn. I had not counted on anyone following me.

“Oh shit! Yan, are you alright?” Tamo came into the half opened cubicle and got to her knees next to me. “Are you hurt??”

I closed my eyes and shook my head. I could feel her stroking my hair back and brush away some of the tears on my face. They still wouldn’t stop.

“Oh Yan, what is it? Should I call Miki?”

“No!”, I choked out.

“Did the two of you fight?”

“No.” I shook my head again. It was bad enough to know what I would have to do. I needed some time to get to terms with that before I could stand facing her without breaking down.

“Then let me get you home. You need to lie down.”

I didn’t resist when Tamo pulled me upright and to a basin to freshen me up. I just followed everything she did until she had gotten me home and put a glass of water into my hand.

Miki would be home soon.

 

tbc


	5. Take Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tamo can't work like this.

~~ 1995~~

~Tamo~

„AW HELL! _Miki_! Don’t!! You _know_ I don’t like girls, you know I actually like _men_.” I struggled to get away from her. She did this sometimes now, since Yan and she had split up, just snuck up on me (and I suspected I wasn’t the only one) and unceremoniously put her hands where they certainly didn’t belong.

“Yes, but you like this well enough, don’t you?”, she shot back and pushed me up against the wall. I couldn’t help but moan.

I had let that slip, once, when I had definitely too much to drink and it had been quite some time.

“Well, what can I say, you’re a talented woman. But you still- shouldn’t- DO- THIS!”

I heard her chuckle right next to my ear. “I will think about it when you stop rocking into my hand.”

“Ah, please! _Please_!”

“Aw, Tamo-chan, I just love the sounds you make when I do this. You just can’t keep quiet, can you?”

“If we’re getting caught, it’s your faul- AHH!!! YES!”

“ _Yes_ , that’s it, just let go.”

 

~~~ _a few minutes later_ ~~~

 

“You desperately need to get back together with Yan-san, you know that? You can’t keep doing that.” I sat slumped down against my locker, completely out of breath and held Miki in my arms. We had been more than lucky no-one had seen us. But _damn_ , she was good. And I couldn’t stay angry with her when she made me come like a hurricane.

“…I don’t think she wants to.” she answered quietly.

That was nonsense. I had seen Yan-san sitting in the crowd five times already. Had seen how she only had eyes for Miki the whole time. But Miki obviously hadn’t. “Whatever. But you have to stop this. Not everyone can keep quiet like I do. Sooner or later, one of your _friends_ will let something slip.”

“What do you mean? You’re the only action I get at the moment.”

“Oh?” I just flat out refused to be flattered by the fact that I was the only one she did this with at the moment. And I was doubtful.

She smirked. “And you call that keeping quiet? I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d have heard you in the floor above us.”

“And whose fault would that be?!”

“Yours, because you were just too tempting, standing there in your underwear.”

“Well, I guess I can consider myself lucky then that you don’t start to molest me in front of everyone when we have to change.”

“I’d say so, too.”

Infuriating, that’s what she was. And damn sexy at the same time. But even on the assumption I’d have been interested, there was still Yan-san to be reckoned with. Yes, she had put an end to their relationship on the grounds that she did not want to risk Miki’s career any further. But no, I didn’t think that she would be able to stay away much longer. She already had been at our show, contacting her directly was only a matter of time now. I hoped it would be sooner rather than later.

 

~~~ _a week later_ ~~~

 

When I saw Miki pack up her bag and vanish in a suspiciously quick manner again that night, I decided to follow her. She had done that for a week now, just vanished after our evening performances. A week in which she actually hadn’t snuck up on me anymore. But she hadn’t been going home. I had first thought so, because her fan-club wasn’t to be seen anywhere when I had gone outside. But when I had tried to visit her at home and no-one was there, it came to me that she maybe never had left the theater.

I was worried about her and decided it was time to find out what it was she did.

That evening, I simply left my things in the changing room and, quickly stepping out of the room as well, could just see her turning to the stairs leading up. I took the same way and heard her steps getting muted shortly after. I guessed she had left the staircase on the third level. But why? There was nothing there but training halls… And one particular smaller room. Made for training sessions with fewer people.

That was so not good.

Reaching the third level, I waited for a moment. I could hear her steps getting farther away, until they stopped and a door was opened and then closed again. I thought I had a fairly good idea now what she was doing there. As quietly as I could, I tiptoed to the door in question and risked a peek in through the little window in the door.

At first I couldn’t see her, but it wasn’t possible to see everything that was in the room from that position. Quickly after, Miki came into view. She had put on some training clothes and now positioned herself in-front of the mirrored wall and started dancing.

But that was nothing from the show we were doing at the moment. I knew the moves she tried to copy. Because often enough I had watched in awe when they had been carried out by Yan.

 

~ Flashback

~ 1991- 4 years ago

 

I quite distinctively remembered how I had found out about Yan and Miki.

Yan had just been announced next topstar of Hanagumi. I had only hoped that her promotion wouldn’t get in-between her friendship with Miki.

When I had walked in on them, Miki had had Yan pressed up against the wall, one hand in Yan’s hair, the other on her backside.

They had looked hot, no doubt about that. The way Miki had kissed Yan, as if she had wanted to eat her alive, and Yan matching her aggression, balling her hands in Miki’s shirt, pulling her even closer, rocking against the leg which was lodged in between her own. And the sounds those two had made.

Just thinking about it, I could feel my face grow hot.

Originally I had had a hard time, waiting to be able to sneak into the little training room to call the sorry excuse for a (secret) boyfriend I had back then, but now in that moment I couldn’t get out again fast enough.

Too bad that the fastest approach hadn’t been equally as quiet. I hadn’t realized that I hadn’t walked far after slamming that door. And of course the slamming had been hard not to notice.

I had been busy getting my breathing back to normal when I’d been suddenly grabbed and dragged back into the small room I had just fled from.

“Tamo!! What are you doing here?!” I had winced and refused to open my eyes. It had been Miki’s voice that had spoken first after the door had been locked and she had not sounded pleased.

“Miki, calm down please. Tamo-chan, are you okay?” Now I slowly opened my eyes. Yan had laid a hand on Miki’s arm and was moving in between the two of us.

I nodded. Seemed like Miki would not have a problem with Yan being top after all.

“Tamo-chan, I know I ask a lot, but please keep quiet about this? No-one can know!”

I had nodded once more. “Of course.” I was not stupid, what did they think? That I had planned on making a big announcement at the next show? “I was just surprised to- ah, find you here.”

“Do you have a problem with this?” She took hold of one of Miki’s hands.

“No! I honestly was just… well, surprised. What would you have been?” It was not as if I hadn’t known already that a fair share of us girls either preferred other girls or were opportunistic. It had just been the fact that THOSE two were together that had rocked me so much. I never would have suspected Miki would be so good at hiding something like that.

“Alright. That has to be enough for now. Tamo-chan, I’m sorry you witnessed this. You shouldn’t have been burdened by that knowledge. But thank you for being willing to help us.”

“Of course.”

“Are you free tonight?”

“Uhm, yes?”

“Good, then come visit me please. Around seven?”

I could only nod while observing their behaviour. Miki hadn’t said another word after getting me back inside. But everything she had done- letting Yan take over, moving slightly closer into her personal space for backup, laying a hand on her hip- had been signalling her support. And her possessiveness.

 

tbc


	6. Take Six

~ _Continued Flashback_

~ 1991 Tamo

 

Not long after I had arrived that evening, and Yan had seated me with a cup of tea on her sofa, I heard a key scrap in the lock and then the door open and close.

“I’m back Yan-chan.” Miki shuffled around for a bit in the hallway, then came into the living room.

“Welcome back.” Yan greeted her with a quick kiss and a smile and took the shopping-bags Miki had brought.

“Hey Tamo-chan.” Miki grinned at me. “Is take-away alright with you?”

“Sure.” I nodded. “Almost everything is better than your cooking.”

“Pot-kettle. I had stomach-aches for three days after I was at yours the last time.”

“Well, if you hadn’t eaten so much-“

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

This was nice. This felt normal. I had grown nervous in the course of the afternoon, but this was good.  
And Yan had known that we had needed that.

 

~ _later that evening_

 

“So how did you- you know, get together?”  
“Oh, you know: since we’re already spending almost all our time together, we thought ‘What difference does it make’. What do you think?”

Yan boxed lightly against Miki’s shoulder and scowled a little. “Miki, play nice.”

Her second pulled a face right back but wrapped an arm around Yan’s waist. “Sorry.”

“When had you been sure?”

“You two girls talk, I’m getting the dessert.”

Yan smiled at Miki’s retreating back before turning back to me. “It wasn’t hard to be sure after I had realized that some time after I had gotten to know Miki, I constantly smiled: after waking up, on my way to rehearsal, on my way home, when I went to bed. Just the knowledge that’d I’d see her would do that to me.”

I could see Miki through the doorway in the kitchen pause after getting something out of the fridge.

“And everytime she was ill and not at the theater I kind of felt at a loss. I needed some time to get there, but once it was clear that being with her, seeing her smile, hearing her laugh, that simply everything that is her makes me so happy, I knew I wanted to be with her.”

Miki had come closer again while Yan was talking and now rested a hand on her shoulder. Yan looked up and met Miki for a kiss. “Weren’t you supposed to get dessert?” she smiled at her girlfriend with open adoration and an impish smile.

 

~ _End flashback_ ~

 

I took a last look at Miki moving around the room. Then as quietly as I could, I made my way back downstairs, took my bag and left the building. I knew enough, now.

As I stepped outside and met my fan-club with a slightly forced smile on my face, I knew I had to do something. I didn’t want Miki to be so crushed. But other than waiting for it to pass, there was only one thing I could try. Namely talking to Yan. I just had to get together what I wanted to tell her, but I had to try to convince our former top-star to get back together with Miki.

~

My chance to do exactly that came earlier than I had hoped.

It was pure accident I had spotted her while doing my weekly grocery shopping the next day, but I had to use the opportunity.

“Boss?”

Her head shot up, “Tamo-chan!” She smiled and hugged me. “How are you?”

“Oh, fine. Everything’s alright, but I still have to get used to it that you’re not there anymore.” The smile on her face faltered a little, and I suspected she would try to excuse herself quite soon. But I really needed to talk to her. “Say, would you like to come over for a an hour or so? I haven’t seen you in quite a while, I’d love to talk to you.”

“Ah, Tamo, I don’t know-“

“ _Pleeeeease_?” I knew I could make her agree. Few people would risk to be seen with me when I got whiny. And Yan had always either very quickly vanished if she could, or agreed to what I wanted.

She would have problems fleeing in here.

 

~

 

Getting her seated in my living room with a cup of tea had been even easier than I had hoped.

“Yan, I need to talk to you about Miki.” She decided to very intently observe the steam that was rising from her cup. “Honestly, you need to do something.”

“What do you expect me to do?”

“Get back together with her, of course.”

She shook her head. “You know I can’t do that. Being seen with me too much outside the theater now would raise suspicion.”

“But coming to our performances three days in a row is okay?” Her head shot up. “Admit it, you’re not over her.”

She snorted. “Of course I’m not over her. I did not end our relationship because I don’t love her anymore.”

“Then don’t tell me you did this for her, because she’s anything but thankful for it.”

“I didn’t expect her to be. But sometimes she needs to be protected from herself.”

“Sure, but what about the people around her? Did you think about what you did to them in ending your relationship?” She didn’t need to know what Miki did to balance out her stress level. She just really needed to know that all was not well.

“She’ll get over it, I’m sure.”

“Of course, she could. But why should she have to? You still love her; tell me if it isn’t so.” Only silence on the other side of the table. “And she’s miserable. And it is showing on stage, you have to admit that. Please talk to her, make up, tell her you’re sorry, grovel if you have to-“

“Hey!”

“- just get back together! I really don’t care how!!”

We were both quiet for a moment. It was steam-watching time again.

“Just so you know, she stays overtime a lot these days. Mostly alone. And today as well, if I’m not mistaken. In the small training hall on the third floor. You still know that one, right? Just try it, please? If it isn’t working out anymore, then it just won’t. But you two obviously pine for each other. And you stress me out.”

“I’m stressing you out?”

“Well, it’s more Miki than you, but it’s always different if I see you in the crowd. Your skills are just abnormal, I have trouble living up to my own expectations if you’re there.”

 

~

~Miki~

 

How the hell had she done it? This was not a very hard figure to dance and still I had trouble copying the move. I knew I should have headed home to rest and be ready for the next show. Only I had trouble going home into my apartment, knowing that no-one would be there, and no-one would come. I hadn’t been able to sleep through the night once for weeks now- not since she had told me we couldn’t see each other anymore. I only had a real chance of falling asleep if I was truly exhausted. And crying myself to sleep was not the best way to do it.

I couldn’t honestly claim this was better, trying to be near her by being in this room all alone, copying her dancing, but at least it did the trick: I would be too tired to think in a while.

“You need to raise your left leg higher.”

tbc


	7. Take Seven

~Yan~

 

“You need to raise your left leg higher.” 

She didn’t make any sudden movements, just turned around and looked at me. I think she had trouble believing I was really there. We were both quiet for a while.  
Then she answered, “I know. I just don’t completely get how…. Would you show me?”

I really shouldn’t have, but I was already moving. If I wanted to admit it or not, I had already made my decision when I had heard Tamo-chan talking about Miki. “Yes.” I set my bag down against the wall and then joined her in front of the mirror, standing beside her. “See, after you raise your leg like this, you have to almost immediately turn.” I demonstrated it twice before stepping back till I was standing behind her. “Should I give you a slight support while you try it?” I was incredibly nervous about touching her. I was afraid she’d shy away and deny me any kind of closeness.

A rather quiet “Please.” was her answer and gave me permission to step closer.

I laid my right hand on her hip and with the other helped to raise her left leg into the correct height. “Now, it’s not so much about holding that position. You just need enough momentum to turn.”

“I think I understand.” She stood upright again and quickly put her hand on my own, pulling me closer against her back before I could move away. “Why are you here?” She stared at me in the mirror. I felt almost hypnotized as I met her questioning gaze and encircled her waist with my free arm.

“I miss you terribly.”

“And you just wanted to say hello?”

“I think you know why I’m here.”

Her grip on my hand got just that much harder. “I need to hear it.”

Well, so much for doing what would have been better for the both of us. “I want you back. I miss you and I want us to be together again.”

“You know that nothing has changed. I’m still in the company, we are still women, this is still not going to be easy.”

“But you’re still willing to be with me in spite of everything?”

“Of course. I would quit if that was all that kept us apart.”

I pulled her back against me. “Don’t! This is your time. You have worked so hard, you earned being top of Hanagumi. Don’t throw that away. We will find a way.”

“Just don’t leave me again. Please. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” She turned in my arms and now looked directly at me.

“I don’t think I could make myself do that again. I’m sorry, I only wanted to do the right thing. For both of us. But I was just miserable.”

She hugged me and buried her head in my shoulder. “Stupid Yan-chan. I know you meant well, but you made us both miserable.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” I pulled her even closer to me and just soaked up her presence. I honestly couldn’t have said anymore how I had been able to stay away from her for so long. 

“Will you come home with me? Please? I hate it when the appartment is so empty.” 

“Of course. Let’s just make a quick trip to the conbini and buy something to eat. I bet you don’t have anything at home, right?”

I could feel her shaking her head and heard her muffled vioce, “No, didn’t want to spend more time at home than necessary.” Her hands tightened on my back, as if she was afraid I’d vanish again. 

 

~Miki~

 

Suddenly I felt myself growing tired. After some more time standing there, hugging each other, we packed our things and went out to get some food. 

I was afraid she’d think I was clingy, staying as close to her as I could the whole time. But whenever it was me who turned to look for something, it was her that immedeatly turned up next to me and rested a hand on my back or stroked over my arm. As if she also had the need to make sure this was real. I knew I had to. I pressed against her for a moment when I saw her putting a toothbrush and her brand of deodorant into her shopping basket and got a smile as answer. I wouldn’t have trouble sleeping tonight.

~~~~

It was some weeks later when we had another rehearsal run for “East of Eden”. There were some minor changes to be included before the Tokyo run would start.

Yan had moved back in with me and we had actually been able to pick our relationship back up where we had left off.  
To say I was happy would have been the understatement of the year.

On this particular morning I had been in kind of a rush and looking into my bag now, obviously hadn’t paid all that much attention to what I had been packing into it. Because additionally to my trousers, shoes, tie, waterbottle and towel, I needed a shirt. And I had packed a shirt. It just wasn’t the one I had planned on taking with me. What I found now in my bag was not even a shirt of mine- it belonged to Yan-chan. That in itself wouldn’t have been a problem. Not even so much that it was one she slept in, because it looked just like any other ordinary, slightly too big shirt. Although the fact that ‘ANJU’ was written in not too small, blue letters on the chest-pocket could be slightly incriminating.

Well, I didn’t have a choice. And probably no-one would notice anyway. I would wear a tie, so maybe it wouldn’t look too much like a pyjama top. And ‘ANJU’ was written in Romanji – the chances were good nobody would bother to read it.

Still, I was kind of distracted and about half an hour into the training session it finally hit me why: I could smell her on that shirt.  
I let go of a deep sigh. The day couldn’t pass by fast enough for my taste. But it would still be quite some time before I’d be able to go home to the unknowing source of my current difficulties.

I hadn’t counted on the possibility that her scent would throw me off like that: I had problems remembering my lines, not to mention my steps.

~

Tamo had appeared right next to me in our break. “Now isn’t that cute?!” She whispered and laughed quietly. “Will you announce it officially soon?” 

I tried to keep my voice as low as possible and my behaviour as normal as I could. “I grabbed the wrong shirt, alright? And keep it down.”

“Ah, you try to hide in plain sight? Cute idea. But say, didn’t you notice the photographer?”

“The who?”

“Over there. Next to the tables in front of the mirror?”

Oh. No, actually, I hadn’t. “Let me guess: he already took pictures.”

“Sure.” 

“Great.”

“You know, you could have simply asked: I do have a second shirt with me.”

“You couldn’t have said so earlier?”

“I hadn’t noticed it until a minute ago.”

Just great.

Somehow, I made it through the second half of todays rehearsal session. The last hour had been torture- time had never seemed to take longer in my mind. I could see Tamo-chan grin out of the corner of an eye while packing my stuff together, but ignored her for now. 

Yan-chan wouldn’t know what hit her after I would have gotten to her tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last part is inspired by an actual picture of Miki, wearing a shirt that has 'ANJU' written on it in big letters.


	8. Take Eight

~~1996~~

~Tamo~

 

I was packing my bag after practice when Miki sidled up to me. “You know, maybe you should just take pity on Taatan.”

“What do you mean?” 

“You know what I mean.”

Of course I knew. “I’m not like that.”

“Just for fun. I don’t think she wants to swap rings.”

“I’ve got someone, you know that.”

“Right. That someone you don’t seem to be very happy with anymore. Taatan on the other hand looks like she’d be interested in making you very happy.” No-one I knew could grin as lecherously as Miki.

Of course I had noticed the looks Taatan sent into my direction. But Taatan and I had talked once some years ago and I had very carefully tried to let her down before she ever ventured further in that direction. As far as I could see she had understood, because when we talked now it was always very friendly but neutral. Save for the way she looked at me sometimes. Of course Miki would have picked up on that. I would even have gone so far as to supect her of encouraging Taatan. But it was still all fun and friendly and I refused to be worried. 

 

~~Miki~~

“Ryoichi! What are you doing here? You know you can’t come to the theater!”

Her voice was more a hiss than anything else, but I heard it on my way to the parking lot. Who was Tamo-chan talking to?  
I changed my course and snuck over to the corner I had heard her voice coming from. 

“I had to talk to you.”

“Then why not simply call?”

Peeking around the corner I could see them standing not too far away. Tamo was standing close to the wall, facing a guy in a much too expensive suit and with ‘hurt ego’ written all over his face.

“Because you didn’t return my calls.”

“And does that surprise you? I told you I don’t want to see you again.”

“You can’t just treat me like that!”

So that was him. Tamo had been acting kind of down the last few days, but had never explained in full. 

“Listen, it’s easy: It’s over. You don’t respect me, nor what I do for a living and your attitude is shameful. You believe everything is about you and I have to jump if you want something. You’re inconsiderate, arrogant and so full of yourself you can’t see further than your car and your clothes and I honestly don’t know anymore what I’ve ever seen in you.”

Oh. I couldn’t remember Tamo ever talking to anyone with so much contempt in her voice. But I couldn’t dwell on that when I saw the guy raise his hand. “I think that’s enough!” I tried to keep my voice quiet, as not to raise too much attention should someone pass us. 

Both their heads whipped around to look in my direction. Tamo didn’t look very shocked- more like embarrassed. Slowly I walked closer and came to a stop right next to her, facing her ex. “You should leave now, before someone could get the impression you’re harrassing an honoured member of the theater. I’m sure you heard of our fanclubs. Now scram.”

What was it with guys spitting on the ground if they wanted to be cool? But at least he left without another word.

“Thanks.“ Tamo said next to me. “That wasn’t necessary, but still, thanks.”

Did she mean that? “He would have hit you!”

A small smile played on her face. “Would have tried to. I did some karate when I was younger, you know?”

“For how long?!?”

“Long enough to remember how to discourage him from ever coming near again.”

“…you? You could have- back then, everytime I- You could have _easily_ …”

Now her face got stern. “Don’t make anything out of it that it isn’t, okay? As I said: you’re a talented woman. Get that grin off your face, it’s not very becoming.”

“Aw~ Tamo- _chan_. You actually _do_ like me.”

“Sometimes. Now quit that, will you?!”

“…Thanks.”

“What for?”

“For being there for me back then. I don’t think I ever thanked you properly for that. I owe you.”

“No you didn’t. And yes you do: Make this work! I don’t want you to suddenly decide that it’s too hard and too dificult and come to me crying.”

“Anything else?”

“…Continue to hide sweets in my bag. I kind of got used to that.”

I couldn’t help but snicker. “Done.”

“Good, now go home.”

“Oh, dismissing me so quickly?”

“Yan is waiting at the car. Don’t look like that, she’s out of hearing range.”

I had better hurry. “See you tomorrow.”

I could hear her laugh behind me. “See you.”

 

~Tamo~

 

I watched Miki jog over to Yan while starting on my own way home.

Just when I came around the corner to the front of the building, the entrance door opened.

“Tamo-chan! Wait up.” Turning around I saw Taatan walking up to me. “Are you heading home?”

“Yeah. Do you want to walk with me?”

“Sure. You know, I was thinking about going out and getting something to drink. Would you like to join me?”

Originally, I had looked forward to getting home and simply doing nothing. On the other hand it was our free day tomorrow and doing something fun after the unexpected visit by Ryoichi sounded like a good idea.

Maybe it was time to become opportunistic.

“You know, why don’t we get something to drink at the conbini and then just go to my place?”

She looked startled for a moment but then smiled and nodded. “I’d love to.”

 

~ two days later~

~ Tamo~

 

“Hey, someone is looking happy today!” Miki had sidled up to me. “Had a good free day?”

I smirked a little. “Oh yes. A very good one. A friend came over.”

“Oh? And who was that?”

A coffee cup moved between us and infront of my face before I could answer.

“Morning Tamo-chan.” Taatan handed me the cup with a grin and a wink and then walked on to Charlie.

Miki stood there, flabbergasted, her mouth opening and closing several times while turning from me to Taatan and back again.

“Do you want a sip?” I asked her as neutral as it was possible while grinning from one ear to the other and offered her the cup.

“That’s a joke, right? You’re just joking and want to pull my leg, right?”

“Miki, I have no idea what you are talking about.” I answered and drank some myself.

Nice, she had remembered how I liked my coffee.

Our top continued to watch both of us, Taatan and me, like a hawk. There was not much to see, save for a few more eyecontacts and maybe a smile or two more than usual, but I suspected that was already more than enough for Miki to form an opinion on what exactly I had been doing the day before.

Fine by me, I would neither deny nor confirm her questions. I needed a little bit of fun, too.

I met Yan on my way home the next day while she was waiting for Miki. “What is this I hear about you and Taatan, Tamo-chan?” She grinned at me. “Is it just to tease Miki or did your preferences change?”  
I smirked back. “I could tell you, but you’d tell Miki and where would be the fun in that?” 

“Fair enough. But be careful, will you?”

“Yes, I will.”

 

~Taatan

 

I had spotted him a few times now and from Tamo-chans remarks I suspected that he was the guy that wouldn’t leave her alone.

This time I saw him leaning against a tree, watching the theater exit and I couldn’t keep from stopping next to him for a moment. “I would stay away from her, if I were you.”

“Excuse me?” 

“You understood me perfectly well. She’s not interested.”

“And who do you think you are, telling me what to do?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I must have been unclear. That was nothing more than a friendly recommendation. Have a nice day.” 

Tamo-chan and I were maybe nothing more than friends with benefits, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t be protective of her. And maybe a little possessive.

 

tbc


	9. Take Nine

1997

~ Tamo

 

To be truthful, I sometimes had wondered how Miki and Yan could have been so thoughtless to let themselves be caught red-handed. Until that day after costume rehearsal for ‘Gone with the Wind’.

“Well, well, well. Seems Rhett isn’t so wrong in worrying about Ashley after all.” She sported a grin that reached from one side of her face to the other.

“Miki! Get out!!!”

“Why? The view-“

“OUT!”

“Alright, alright.”

I wanted to hit her.

Later, I was sure, I would see the humour in it, but at the moment I really just wanted to hit her.

Taatan, who had her hands under my skirt and was chuckling into my neck didn’t help in the slightest.

 

~ Later that day

~ Yan

 

It was around the time I expected Miki to come home when someone startet ringing our doorbell in a very…insistent fashion. 

“Hello?”

“ _Hey boss, it’s me_!”

“Tamo? Come on up.” 

I didn’t have to wait long. Not a minute later Tamo came storming inside. “Where is she?!?”, she demanded while changing shoes.

“You mean Miki? She’s not here yet, but-“

“I’m going to _kill_ her!”

“What did she do?” There was no doubt in my mind that Miki probably deserved whatever Tamo had planned for her. I led her inside to the couch.

“What she did!? She-“ Tamo apruptly went quiet and then I heard it, too. A key in the door was being turned. 

Tamo sat very still for another moment until the door had opened and closed and a very familiar voice announced “Hey Yan! I’m home.”

I thought it wise to just stand back. Well, maybe it would be advisable to move out of the future war zone, namely our livingroom as well. “Welcome! Miki, we-“ –have a guest, I had wanted to say, but Miki obviously urgently wanted to tell me something, while Tamo’s face took on an interesting shade of red, shortly before she moved into Miki’s line of sight.

“You’ll never guess-“ She had come to the entrance of the living room and had spottet Tamo. “Hey!” There was a laugh in her, just waiting to break out, I could see it in the grin splitting her face in two. Oh boy, what had she done now?

“ _You_ , are _so_ dead.”, was all Tamo said, before she launched.

“WhooHO” Much as I had predicted, our livingroom would probably never be the same again. Miki had taken off just in time to get out of Tamo’s reach and the chase had begun.

“YOU! You followed us!!” A turn around the couch.

“You bet I did!!” A turn around the table.

“Admit it, you just waited for a chance!” 

“And a well taken one it was! You should have seen your face- ARGH!!” Tamo had taken a jump over our table (which impressed me) and had landed on Miki, effectively pinning her to the couch.

“I ought to strangle you!” Tamo sat on her back and Miki still couldn’t hold in her laughter.

“Vetoed!” I thought it wise to at least voice my opinion.

“Maim her?” The glint in Tamo’s eyes worried me a little.

“No, I want her intact, please.”

“Do you know what she did?!?” Tamo had grabbed one of the pillows and began hitting Miki on the head, who now sounded as if she was caught in a fit of laughter.

“No, but I think she was just about to tell me, when this began.”

“She-” _hit_ “-followed-” _hit_ “-and-” _hit_ “-spied-” _hit_ “-on-” _hit_ “-us!!!” _hit-hit-hit_

“Doing what?” That was the one thing I didn’t know yet, and upon asking, Tamo suddenly stopped her onslaught, froze up and blushed.

Miki could be heard, slightly muffled under Tamo, ”Scarlett doing the nasty with Ashley in a broom closet-ACK!”

“I’m going to KILL you!”

“YAN!!”

I had trouble containing my laughter but went over and did my best to pull Tamo down from her prey. “Tamo, let go, or you will have to explain why the Hanagumi Top died with feathers in her mouth.”

“I don’t care, boss! They will know she probabaly deserved it!!” But she complied and stood up.


	10. Take 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jump to a later date and for now the last chapter for those two. It was a lovely ride.

~2004~ Wrap-party for the TV Show 'Batsu kare'

~Yan~

 

“Oh look, they say to bring someone, if _one is so inclined_. Would you like to come?”

“Ah, Miki, I don’t know. Wouldn’t it be kind of strange if I came along with you?”

“Nah, I think the younger girls are also bringing some of their girlfriends. Wear something nice, no-one will think anything of it.”

“If you say so… Something nice?” In general, something nice meant for Miki not much at all.

 

~two days later~

 

I irrationally hadn’t liked him while seeing some episodes of ‘Batsu Kare’ and I definitely didn’t like him in person: Takahashi Katsunori. Friendly with everyone, always a smile on his face and a compliment on his lips- and his eyes where they didn’t belong. Namely on every woman in this room that had something to look at. And since Miki was definitely damn good looking, we had the honour of seeing a lot of ‘Katsunori-san’ that evening. 

I did my best to be courteous, but simply refused to leave Miki’s side. There were times for being careful and subtle, and times in which staking one’s claim was simply not avoidable. The glass of champagne I had had didn’t exactly calm my mood.

Miki thankfully wasn’t interested in staying till the party ended and we said our goodbyes after three hours of some more, some less interesting conversations. It could have been a very entertaining evening, hadn’t I constantly noticed Katsunori-san ogling Miki in a very disconcerting manner.

It was all I could do to stay quiet and smile and not say ‘NO, get lost!” when he over-courteously announced that he would accompany us to the car, since it was already very late and dark outside. 

 

~Miki~

 

We already were some distance away from the building in which the party was being held and on the parking lot when two things happened in very short order: first I felt a hand on my behind that was definitely too large to be Yan’s. And then, before I was able to react, I heard flesh meet flesh and a body going down.

Turning around I saw Katsunori-san lying on the pavement. Blood was coming out of his nose and he seemed to be a bit out of it. Yan was standing over him, holding her right hand, murder written in her eyes. “He was eyeing you the whole night like a piece of meat. He had it coming.”

I felt a bit speechless. “…oh.” Well, I never had liked him all that much, but- “Did you have to hit him quite that hard?”

“Oh yes.” She still held her hand clutched to her chest. “I hope you hadn’t planned on working with him again.”

“Nah, not really. And to be honest, I don’t think he’ll remember who hit him. And if he does- do you expect him to talk about it?”

A very small smirk was to be seen on her face. Sometimes I forgot how territorial Yan actually was. And how much I liked it. “Come on, let’s go home and have a look at your hand.”

After propping Katsunori up against a car and having a quick look around and seeing no-one, I wrapped an arm around Yan’s waist and steered her off towards our car.

“How’s your hand?”

She opened and closed her hand and winced slightly. “Needs ice.”

“Do you want to get it checked tomorrow?”

“I don’t think anything’s broken. Some ice and keeping it still should do it.”

“If it’s not better in a few days, you’ll go and see a doctor.”

A sigh. “Yes, I will.” We had reached our car and I ushered her inside before getting in myself.

“Good. Now let’s get you home. There’s a bottle of massage oil with your name on it.”

Yan leaned over, turned my face towards hers with her good hand and kissed me, hard. Parting a few moments later, we were both panting and she leaned into me heavily. “You still do this to me. You still drive me crazy.”

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing her head I whispered, “Same here…same here.”


End file.
